748 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



In the first place it will be noted that, 

 according to lliis table, there is a marked 

 decrease in this yeai-'s crop of clover honey 

 in the North Central States, Avliere clover 

 is mainly produced, compared with that of 

 last year. With some slight variations the 

 alfalfa crop in the West is about the same 

 as in 1913. With the exception of the 

 shortage in clover, the yield of alfalfa and 

 other honeys is about the same as a year 

 ago. 



The data in our own office support the 

 Government's figures, and we therefore as- 

 sume that they are correct. 



The decreasing percentage of comb or 

 bulk comb honey, in comparison with ex- 

 tracted honey, is commented upon. There 

 are jDrobably two reasons for this: First, 

 in many markets not enough more can ce 

 secured for comb honey than for extracted 

 to pay for the difference in the total amounts 

 of each that can be produced from a given 

 number of colonies; second, the greater dif- 

 ficulty presented in shipping comb honey as 



compared with shipping extracted honey. 

 This latter does not have reference to bulk 

 comb honey, but to comb honey in sections. 

 Much of the difficulty here is due to care- 

 lessness in grading and packing on the part 

 of the producers themselves. Breakages in 

 shipments of comb honey from small pro- 

 ducers are so frequent that honey-dealers 

 and commission merchants often refuse to 

 continue to handle comb honey. 



There is, perhaps, a third reason which 

 ought to be mentioned, and which includes 

 bulk comb honey, and that is, that comb 

 honey, when it granulates, as it often will if 

 not sold within six months, commands a 

 much smaller price. So far there is no 

 practicable way of liquefying comb honey 

 without reducing it to a liquid honey and 

 wax. 



Taking it all in all, the report is exceed- 

 ingly valuable, and we note with pleasure 

 that our general Government is taking hold 

 of this work and doing it so well. 



